“I hope I don’t get to the free agent market,” the right-handed pitcher said recently. “I’d like to stay a Padre. I think they know that. I love it here. I see a future with the Padres and I like everything about San Diego, the food, the weather, the community.”

Acquired in the four-for-one deal that also brought first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal and reliever Brad Boxberger from the Reds on Dec. 17, 2011, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Mat Latos, Volquez re-fired his career last season with the Padres.

He was 11-11 with a 4.14 earned run average in 32 starts.

Volquez is tough to hit. He allowed only 160 hits in 182 2/3 innings last season and threw only the Padres’ third complete-game one-hitter over the past 19 seasons. He finished the season with the ninth-lowest opponents batting average (.236) among National League starters.

But he also led the National League with 105 walks.

Before the Padres engage Volquez in talks about a contract extension, they’d like to see more control and command from the 29-year-old, who will make $5.275 million this season in a negotiated contract during his final arbitration season.

Volquez next Monday will make the first of his two initial spring training starts for the Padres before reporting to the Dominican Republic team in Miami for the World Baseball Classic.

Volquez has also spent part of this spring counseling Grandal about the catcher’s 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Volquez tested positive for a PED used to boost male fertility in 2010 and served a 50-game suspension with the Reds.

“You feel bad to see anyone go through that,” Volquez said. “There is really little you can say. I talked to Yaz the first day here. It’s a process. He’s smart. It’s really about what you do now. It’s going to go away. This year will be tough, but if you do it right from here, it will go away.”

Notes

• Padres manager Bud Black said he has been impressed by the stuff shown by three young relievers in camp — Matthew Stites, Johnny Barbato and Kevin Quackenbush.

• Minor league infielder River Stevens, the Padres’ ninth-round pick in last June’s draft, will miss the 2013 season due to elbow reconstruction surgery. Right field prospect Rymer Liriano had his “Tommy John” procedure Wednesday in San Diego.

• Much of the Padres’ scheduled workout Wednesday was scrubbed due to rain.